‘Produce Voters card to get NRC’

Councillors in Mazabuka yesterday took to task an officer from the department of National Registration to explain why people who lost their Green National Registration Cards (NRCs) are being asked to produce voters cards as condition for them to obtain fresh NRCs.

The councillors expressed worry that most people eligible to participate in next years general elections will be defranchised because of the tough conditions set by the department of National Registration.

The councillors also complained that the programme was being executed in a haphard manner as no offocial programme had been given to them.

An officer from National Registration Alice Nyerenda was at pains to explain how the department arrived at such a decision which has been perceived as a ploy by government to defranchise villagers.

Ms Nyerenda however agreed and defended the decison by her department saying people were asked to produce voters cards because the details found on voters cards are similar to those on NRCs.

The civic leaders complained during a meeting addressed by Mayor Shadreck Mwiinga that most people who have lost their NRCs and Voters cards were being turned away by officers involved in the mobile issuance of NRCs.

The councillors also urged the government to discipline officers conducting the programme because they were using language not paratable to the traditional customs of the people.

MMD Munenga ward councillor, Fred Malambo said lack of respect for elderly people applying for replace of NRCs by officers is not health in a christian nation.

Mr Malambo said officers should be inducted before going in the villagers on how to behave to avoid problems.

Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba had to apologise and promised to follow up the matter.

Mr Hamaamba said he had to invite the department of National registration to brief the civic leaders on the programme because he did not want to answer to questions he did not understand.

He equally described the conditions of asking people who lost their NRCs to produce voters as bad because it would defranchise alot of people eligible to participate in the forthcoming general elections.

Mr Hamaamba said it is government intention to make all Zambians eligible to vote to obtain NRCs in readiness for the forthcoming mobile voters registration exercise.